Let’s Achieve Something Great Together 1 – Stretcher Frames

I am about to embark on a new painting that I’m both excited and apprehensive about. This is all par for the course for artists: the forging into the unknown. Most of my paintings tend to be on the large-scale and are very ambitious. I know that this is where I thrive as an artist, where I set out an idea that will take me on a journey. An artist without confidence will wither into a ball of procrastination, but before all great journeys there is always a little seed of doubt. The doubt keeps you on your toes and makes completion all the more sweeter!

I’d like to take you on a journey. We start, of course at the beginning, with the construction of a stretcher frame. Although I tell a lie, the true beginning is with the idea that has evolved through previous pieces of work, which is being re-explored to delve deeper into its nature. This I can’t reveal all at once, but gradually over time for those that are interested. I’d recommend looking at my previous work as a starting point, really looking, that is where we can begin. But for now, we make the structure. For this painting, for the first time I have created a shallow profile frame and am stretching with linen. It has my characteristic split panel with hinge detail layout (hinges to follow). In these photographs you can see my sculpture Sight Specific, which will play its part as a prop in the finished painting. I’ll keep you updated on further developments.